29 American Jesuits to Attend Worldwide Meeting, Elect New Leader in Rome this October

Delegates Include
Heads of Jesuit Provinces, Jesuit School Presidents Across the U.S.

For Immediate Release

(Rome, Italy, September 30, 2016) — The Society of Jesus
(Jesuits), the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic
Church, will convoke General Congregation 36, the supreme governing body of the
order, in Rome on October 3.

At the Jesuit Curia, the worldwide headquarters of the Society,
215 Jesuits from 62 countries — among them 29 Americans — will elect a replacement
for Superior General Father Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, 80, who has announced his
intention to resign.

Once a new Superior General is elected and the pope is informed,
the successor to St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, will be announced. The
delegates will next discuss issues of importance in the Society, including
mission, structure and Jesuit life and work. Pope Francis is familiar with the
process, as he attended two prior General Congregations — GC 32 (1974-75) and
GC 33 (1983).

“This is the first time a congregation has begun with a Jesuit
pope, and the Society has a great desire to join the church in serving the
vision and witness of Pope Francis,” said Father Timothy P. Kesicki, SJ,
president of the Jesuit Conference and a delegate to GC36.

Feature stories, videos, delegate bios, an infographic, FAQ, and
more can be found at jesuits.org/gc36.

Founded in 1540 by Saint Ignatius Loyola, the Society of Jesus
(Jesuits) is the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic
Church. Jesuit priests and brothers are involved in educational, pastoral and
spiritual ministries around the world, practicing a faith that promotes
justice. In Canada and the United States, there are 30 Jesuit colleges and 80
pre-secondary and secondary schools with a shared goal of developing competent,
compassionate and committed leaders in the service of the Church and society.
Jesuits minister in parishes and at retreat houses and serve as chaplains at
prisons, hospitals, nursing homes and in the military. The Jesuit Conference of
Canada and the United States, headquartered in Washington, D.C., represents all
Jesuits in Canada and the U.S. For more information on the Society of Jesus,
visit www.jesuits.org.

(Washington, D.C., June 28, 2018) — This summer, the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits — the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church — is welcoming 27 new priests in the U.S., Canada and Haiti (a member of the Jesuits’ French Canada Province).

(Washington, D.C., June 21, 2018) – Loyola University Chicago’s Center for the Human Rights of Children, the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology, Kino Border Initiative, the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities, and 11 Jesuit law schools strongly oppose the so-called “Zero Tolerance” policy of the Trump Administration, which reinforces the criminalization of migration and has already separated thousands of migrant families.

(Washington, D.C., March 13, 2018) — Father Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, has named new rectors for the two Jesuit theology centers in the United States. Fr. Michael Boughton, SJ, will serve as rector of the Faber Jesuit Community at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (BCSTM), while Fr. Martin Connell, SJ, will serve as rector of the Jesuit Community at the Jesuit School of Theology (JST) of Santa Clara University.

(Washington, D.C., November 2, 2017) — Timed to coincide with the upcoming UN COP23 climate change conference in Bonn, Germany, Jesuits and lay collaborators from around the world will hold a series of events in Bonn to complement and amplify the talks taking place next week.

(Washington, D.C., October 4, 2017) — Today, on the Feast Day of St. Francis, the saint most identified with care for creation, two Jesuit organizations have partnered to produce what’s being called an Ecological Examen.

(Washington, D.C., September 5, 2017) — Dear Dreamers: We write on this difficult day to remind you of God’s love for you and to tell you that you are not alone. Across the U.S., Dreamers like yourself have graced classrooms in Jesuit schools — from the smallest among you to those now earning advanced degrees. You came to us for an education, you came for pastoral and spiritual guidance, and we welcomed you — not because of your nationality — but because you are our brothers and sisters in Christ. No government can tear that sacred bond.

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